


Sam Wilson's War

by historymiss



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-02-03 01:02:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1725476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/historymiss/pseuds/historymiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things nobody tells you about watching your best friend die:</p><p>Some part of you will never believe it. </p><p>(Sam Wilson has ghosts of his own)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sam Wilson's War

Things nobody tells you about watching your best friend die:

Some part of you will never believe it.

You will watch his body tumble awkwardly through the air, and you’ll scream pull up, climb, you can make it. You will land, in the middle of a hot zone, and pull apart the wings that lie crumpled and useless and howl in his stupid face come on, man, don’t do this, don’t be dead. You will stand at his funeral and scan the crowd for his face (you will do this for every crowd from now on).

You will never stop disbelieving in his death.

You will bargain with him, those first few nights back at home. Riley would not want to be a ghost: you know this, and you hate yourself for using his body as fuel for your nightmares. You’ll fall from the smoke-streaked sky into a bed that’s too soft, and you’ll scream something that’s almost a name, and in the morning you’ll drag your hand across your face as if that will wipe the weariness away. 

You’ll swing your feet over the side of the bed, ignore Riley’s accusing stare, and stand up.

You’ll decide, not with one epiphany but over a series of nights that lead, slowly, to a dawn that heralds unbroken sleep, that you don’t use your wingman that way. 

You’ll find you have a talent for telling others.

And when you stand, unbowed by the weight of wings on your back, and you look at faces who all have their own attendant ghosts, you’ll see Riley again- not the dead thing that bled out into your arms and haunted your nights, but your friend, ‘cause he’s proud of you, and he always did like to see his wingman fly.

Things no-one tells you about losing your best friend: sometimes they’ll still smile at you.

You’ll smile back.


End file.
